http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3351403The Milwaukee Bucks have fired Larry Krystkowiak after his first full season as an NBA head coach.
"Larry and I met this morning, and came to the decision that he would not return," new Bucks manager John Hammond said Thursday.
The move has been expected since Larry Harris was dismissed as general manager last month. Bucks owner and U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl hired Hammond to replace Harris, and Hammond had promised to quickly deal with the coaching situation and make it a top priority.
The Bucks finished last in the Central Division with a 26-56 record.
"I am not the coach anymore," Krystkowiak told the Journal Times of Racine, Wis. "I am going to sit at home the next couple of days and decompress."
Krystkowiak worked out at the Bucks' practice facility Thursday morning, but had left the building without comment by the time players gathered at 11 a.m. for a final team meeting.
"It's just a situation that didn't work out," guard Michael Redd said. "I'm sure he tried his best, no doubt about it. We tried our best. It just didn't work out."
Forward Charlie Villanueva said Krystkowiak shouldn't take the fall for a bad season that ultimately should be blamed on the players.
Clearly aware he might be fired, Krystkowiak said facing the end of the season was difficult.
"Disappointment is one of the emotions that I am feeling," he said. "It's just kind of a culmination of a bunch of stuff. And I am an emotional guy. I would be lying if I said other things weren't creeping into my mind too. You go through a lot of things."
Krystkowiak became a favorite of Kohl during his days as a player in Milwaukee, where he gained a reputation for gritty determination. He was hired as assistant to Terry Stotts before the 2006-2007 season and took over as head coach after Stotts was fired in March 2007.
But Krystkowiak's toughness never carried over to the present-day Bucks, who had plenty of players willing to take shots on offense but few reliable defenders.
Milwaukee gave up 151 points in a loss to Chicago in its final home game Monday, often just standing and watching as Bulls players slashed to the basket.
Speaking before the Bucks' season-ending overtime loss at Minnesota on Wednesday night, Krystkowiak said the team had offensive talent but needed tougher players who weren't worried about scoring.
"It's more about a team concept instead of a bunch of talent," Krystkowiak said. "I think we have a lot of guys looking to score, and we've had a heck of a time with chemistry. I think that probably needs to be looked at a little bit more, the aggressive, physical, defensive-minded blend to go with some of the guys that we have."
Earlier this week he said he wasn't always allowed to coach the team the way he wanted. But he declined to elaborate on what pressures Harris or others in the front office might have placed on him.
"When you're in the midst of it, it's not a whole lot of fun, and I know coming out the other end of this that I'm going to be stronger for it," Krystkowiak said. "But right now I'd be lying if I said it was enjoyable."